The problematic calcareous microfossil Halysis is abundant in the Middle Ordovician Darriwilian Stage of the western edge of the Ordos Basin,North China.The rich and well-preserved specimens of Halysis in this area fa...The problematic calcareous microfossil Halysis is abundant in the Middle Ordovician Darriwilian Stage of the western edge of the Ordos Basin,North China.The rich and well-preserved specimens of Halysis in this area facilitate detailed studies for its skeletal construction and tube microstructure.Halysis differs from calcified cyanobacteria and calcareous red and green algae in morphology,skeletal construction and microstructure,as well as reproduction mode.Halysis typically consists of multiple juxtaposed parallel tubes arranged in sheets(‘multiple-tube'type)or is just composed of one tube(‘single-tube'type).In‘multiple-tube'Halysis,tube fission by bifurcation results from the insertion of a microcrystalline wall at the center of a mother tube.This study demonstrates for the first time that the tube walls of Halysis have a laminofibrous(fibronormal)microstructure,composed of fibrous calcite perpendicular to wall surface,and recognizes the‘single-tube'type Halysis composed of one tube;in addition,for the first time,this study finds out that‘multiple-tube'Halysis develops buddings from the conjunction of two tubes and‘single-tube'Halysis shows wide-angle Y-shaped branchings.Based on these findings,this study further compares Halysis with tabulate corals.Halysis appears stratigraphically earlier than Catenipora and Aulopora,and has a smaller tube size.‘Multiple-tube'Halysis resembles Catenipora and‘single-tube'Halysis resembles Aulopora in skeletal construction and microstructure,and in their tube walls of laminofibrous microstructure composed of fibrous calcite perpendicular to the tube wall surface.Catenipora and Halysis are both characterized by the absence of septal spines.The similarities suggest that Halysis may be the ancestor of Catenipora-like and Aulopora-like tabulate corals.展开更多
基金This work was financially supported by the National Science and Technology Major Projea(Grant Nos.2016ZX05004-006 and 2016ZX05004-004)the Strategic Priority Research Program(B)of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB26000000)and the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41502004 and 41902110).
文摘The problematic calcareous microfossil Halysis is abundant in the Middle Ordovician Darriwilian Stage of the western edge of the Ordos Basin,North China.The rich and well-preserved specimens of Halysis in this area facilitate detailed studies for its skeletal construction and tube microstructure.Halysis differs from calcified cyanobacteria and calcareous red and green algae in morphology,skeletal construction and microstructure,as well as reproduction mode.Halysis typically consists of multiple juxtaposed parallel tubes arranged in sheets(‘multiple-tube'type)or is just composed of one tube(‘single-tube'type).In‘multiple-tube'Halysis,tube fission by bifurcation results from the insertion of a microcrystalline wall at the center of a mother tube.This study demonstrates for the first time that the tube walls of Halysis have a laminofibrous(fibronormal)microstructure,composed of fibrous calcite perpendicular to wall surface,and recognizes the‘single-tube'type Halysis composed of one tube;in addition,for the first time,this study finds out that‘multiple-tube'Halysis develops buddings from the conjunction of two tubes and‘single-tube'Halysis shows wide-angle Y-shaped branchings.Based on these findings,this study further compares Halysis with tabulate corals.Halysis appears stratigraphically earlier than Catenipora and Aulopora,and has a smaller tube size.‘Multiple-tube'Halysis resembles Catenipora and‘single-tube'Halysis resembles Aulopora in skeletal construction and microstructure,and in their tube walls of laminofibrous microstructure composed of fibrous calcite perpendicular to the tube wall surface.Catenipora and Halysis are both characterized by the absence of septal spines.The similarities suggest that Halysis may be the ancestor of Catenipora-like and Aulopora-like tabulate corals.
